Support for Crisis Pregnancy Centers

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What are crisis pregnancy centers and why are they dangerous to women's health?

Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are anti-choice organizations that often pose as comprehensive reproductive-health centers, but whose sole purpose is to block women from exercising their right to choose. CPCs use a variety of tactics to lure women into their centers, including false or misleading advertising and promises of free services. Once inside, CPCs intentionally misinform and mislead women by making claims about the "consequences" of abortion, such as an increased risk of breast cancer and psychological damage. While some CPCs are upfront about their anti-choice agenda and may even provide some support and information to women facing unintended pregnancies, many do not.

While they may seem harmless, CPCs do not operate alone—they are allied with powerful national anti-choice organizations and politicians. Several states fund CPCs directly. Many others refer women to CPCs or even require women to visit a CPC before they can get abortion care. Some anti-choice legislatures also funnel money to CPCs through "Choose Life" license-plate programs.

All patients deserve comprehensive, non-directive, and medically accurate information when seeking medical care. Women seeking pregnancy-related information are no different. Regardless of one's opinion on legal abortion, everyone should agree that no person seeking medical care or counseling should be manipulated, harassed, or lied to.

2014 Enacted State Legislation

1 state enacted 1 measure that makes worse an existing law that forces women to go to a CPC: SD.

* Because this is a new issue area for the publication (and the details of budget expenditures are not always publicly available), the process of researching and documenting current measures is ongoing.